Jim Walker, who has been serving as the interim state fire marshal since March, is officially Oregon's 10th state fire marshal.

Oregon State Police made the announcement Thursday, but Walker's appointment was effective Aug. 1.

"I thank the fire service and Oregon State Police for their support and confidence in leading a high-quality organization into the future," Walker said in a release. "I look forward to continuing our great partnerships with the Oregon fire service in achieving our common goals of protecting Oregonians and their property from fire and hazardous materials."

Walker, 52, was chief deputy state fire marshal from 2009 on, until he began his interim position. Before joining the Office of State Fire Marshal, Walker was the fire operations director for the Oregon Department of Forestry.

In his newly officiated role, Walker will direct the agency's fire programs, which includes fire investigation, data collection and analysis, safety education and the regulations on the fireworks, explosives, propane and non-retail gasoline industries, among other responsibilities.